Beefy Baked Beans

I should be embarrassed to admit I eat and cook this cookout favorite as a weeknight meal, but I do and I'm not. Maybe I should be embarrassed that I add ketchup, mustard and brown sugar to the mix, but I do and I'm not. Throw in some bacon and browned ground beef and this protein-packed side dish becomes the main attraction. Or is that a fatal attraction? Never you mind, it's good!

I don't ordinarily like baked beans all that much, but I first ate this concoction at a niece's 8th grade graduation party six years ago (Did you know they celebrate graduation of 8th grade these days? Apparently they do, and if they are serving Beefy Baked Beans -- I do too!) and it was true love ever after.

I'm not going to give you a full-out recipe this time. You can remember this one because there are no exact measurements.

First you need to brown some ground beef. About a pound will do, but no matter how much you use it will taste just fine. And while you are at it, throw in some bacon pieces. I only used two strips 'cause I'm dieting! More would have been much better, but two sufficed this time.

Add some chopped onion while your browning the meat (or meats, rather).

Drain well. 'Cause were dieting, remember?

Now you are going to mix in the rest of the ingredients.

And add a big ol' squirt of ketchup, too.

I let mine cook for at least thirty minutes. The gravy turns a pretty dark, rich color. I am sure the color has nothing to do with the dark brown sugar I added or the bacon or the... oh what difference does it make? You have to make something for dinner, why not make it taste good?

There is one more thing you need to round out your BB-Q inspired dinner. You must make Sara's Crunchy Cabbage Cole Slaw. I make myself a bowl of Beefy Baked Beans and slop a scoop of Sara's Crunchy Cabbage on top. Heaven. Make sure you get a little of each dish in every bite. Um-um-good! If you have the family cookbook Sara's recipe is on page 17. If you don't, I post it later.

And some people may like to add a drip or two of Bean-o on top, but I wouldn't know anything about that. Download a $1.00 off Bean-o coupon here.

Roasted Asparagus & Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup

Spring is here and asparagus is in season. Hallelujah! (Do I hear angels singing on high?) One of my favorite ways to cook asparagus is to roast it. It is simple, fast and healthy. Roasting brings out the flavors while adding a slight sweetness. That is precisely what I did yesterday for Easter dinner .

It was delicious, but the leftovers? The leftovers were waaaaaaay better. How can that be you ask? It be because I took the leftovers and made Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup today. Never again will I roast asparagus without making extra for soup leftovers for the next day.

Roasted Asparagus

1 pound asparagus, woody ends cut (if you plan on making two meals with this, you will need
at least 2 pounds of asparagus. Save the woody ends if you plan to make soup later)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Toss together all ingredients. Arrange asparagus on a roasting pan careful to not overlap stalks. Roast until asparagus is slightly softened and edges are starting to brown a bit, about 20 minutes.

Serve hot (or hide and "forget" to serve to your guests. Then use the asparagus tomorrow for Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup).

Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup
Adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

1 lb. roasted asparagus, (see recipe above)
woody ends you saved from the roasted asparagus
2 cups chicken broth
2 T. onion, chopped
1 cup cream
Salt & Pepper

1. Boil woody asparagus ends in two cups of water until ends become tender. Discard ends after boiling, but reserve 1 cup of the water.

2. Chop roasted asparagus reserving some of the tips for garnish later.

3. Add chicken stock and onion to the 1 cup of reserved water and bring to a boil. Add asparagus and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Puree soup mixture in a food processor or blender being careful while working with the hot liquid. Tip: cover blender or food processor with a dish towel in case of splattering.

5. Return to the pot and add the cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat through.

6. Serve with asparagus tips sprinkled on top.

~ You can use milk in lieu of cream, but I recommend the cream!

~ Read this article after you have eaten the asparagus, but before you go to the restroom. And don't call your doctor until you have read this. I have a friend who...well...maybe she wouldn't want to be outed on my blog, but she knows who she is. Let's just say she would have slept more peacefully had she read this after scarfing down her asparagus.

Spinach-Asiago Gratins

I've been dying to get some individual "bake & serve" ramekins so that I can make personal dishes. I found some for a good price and now I am ready to individualize dinner side-dishes for the rest of my life. Tonight I made individual Spinach-Asiago Cheese Gratins. Here's the skinney on the gratin!

Spinach-Asiago Gratins
adapted from Cooking Light magazine

1 T. butter
1 c. sweet onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 10-oz. frozen spinach
1 1/2 T. all-purpose flour
1 cup 1% milk
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
dash nutmeg
1/2 c. fresh asiago cheese, grated
1/4 c. parmesean cheese, grated
1/4 c. bread crumbs

1. Cook Spinach in microwave using directions on box (it's not necessary to cook until completely done, just get the chill off). Drain spinach well. Use a cheesecloth to wring out the water or drain in a sieve and use a spatula to push the water out.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter in pan and add onion and garlic. Saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add the spinach stirring to combine with onions and garlic. Remove pan from heat

3. Place flour in a small bowl and gradually add milk. Stir with a whisk until combined. Mix flour mixture into spinach mixture; add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Add cheeses. Mix.

4. Divide mixture into 4-6 individual ramekins (or one small pie plate will do just fine). Sprinkle bread crumbs over gratins.

5. Broil about 1 minute until tops begin to brown.

This is how I always drain my frozen spinach. I put a small amount in a cheese cloth and squeeze. It is much easier when you use two hands and aren't trying to take a photograph.

Reason # 1001 to Hate Wal-mart: If you are looking for cheese cloth at Wal-mart, please know that they hide it. It is not with the kitchen gadgets, like a rational person may think. It is with...the fabric, as in the material you use to sew dresses, etc.. I guess since it has the word cloth in its name they think it belongs in the sewing department.